Golf club



May 15, 1923. `1,455,379

` W. S. ALLEN GOLF CLUB' Filed March 5. 1921 Hor/7g Patented May l5, 1923.

UNITED saires S. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GOLF CLUB.

Application led March 5, 1921. Serial No. 449,627.

i citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf Clubs, of which the following, taken in connection with the drawing, is a description.

My invention has for its object the production of a golf club head designed to be used by players of the game of golf, and one which will contain all of the advantages of the present clubs and in addition thereto will have added features of improvement whereby the advantages of having the weight of the club directly back of the ball Aat all times will be possible.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a club which may be formed of any kind of material suitable for the purpose, such as wood, fiber, ivory, metal or the like and which is so shaped and formed that the weight necessary to drive the ball may be incorporated in the spoon or head of the club, and that the weight may be equally dis tributed over the club face and so arranged that the weight is brought closer to the line of control extending through the handle than is possible with clubs as now constructed.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a weight which by its own construction locks itself into the body of the club.

A further object of my invention is to construct a weight which may be varied to meet different requirements and which is easily adjustable for the purpose intended, and

which is effective for both right and left hand players.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated what I now consider the preferred form of an embodiment of my invention although not desiring to be limited to the exact details in the matter of proportion and dimensions of the different parts.

In these drawings- Fig. -1 vis a side or rear elevation of the golf club head,

Fig. 2 is a stop plan view of the sam with the weight removed,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the head of the club taken on line 3 3 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the club head illustrating the recess adapted to receive the face-plate,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the lemcpvable weights to be placed in the club Referring to the drawings A represents the head or spoon of the golf club which is formed of wood, or any other desirable material and has connection with a shaft or handle, (not here shown), but which may be of any kind now in general use. In the drawing I have shown a conventional form of head but contemplate changes in length, width and proportions to suit different individuals.

The head A is cored out or recessed as at a thro-ugh the body thereof, which recess is adapted to receive the wedged weight B. 'Ihis weight is 4formed of metal and fits the recessed portion a. The general contour of the body portion of the weight B is practically semi-cylindrical in one direction and wedge shaped in the other, and is provided with a recess or cavity b therein which is adaptedto receive a plurality of removable members a. varying in weight, one or more of which may be placed in 4the cavity depending upon the weight desired. A screw a2 or other fastening means extends through a. cover plate a3 and the weight members a, and engages the bottom of the weight body B to hold said pieces firmly in place.

The upper edges of the body of theweight B are provided with ribs or beads liz-b2, which engage with correspondingly shaped grooves b3-b3 formed in the head A. These ribs b2 are preferably slightly tapered from end to end thereof by means of which a locking wedging engagement is formed with the correspondingly shaped grooves or channels.-

C is the neck portion of the weight member B which may be formed longer or shorter as desired to bring the weight B near the center of control of the club, the center of control being represented by a line passing through the center of the handle and extending through the club head A to the end thereof.

The neck portion C of the weight widens toward the surface of the club and extends in a curved direction from each side ofsaid neck to an engaging rib 0 0 on each side thereof, and forms the exposed face C of the weight conforming to the contour of the head of the club A.` The' ribbed members 0 0 extend parallel with the ribbed members bz-bz'and are likewise tapered from end to end to lock the parts into the correspondingly .shaped channels IDS-b3 and Z--ZJ receiving them.

, The body portion A of the club is recessed upon one side thereof as at D. D is a face plate formed of any material suitable for the purpose, and which has projecting from one side thereof an integrally formed member d which fits the recess D. Vhen it is desired to lighten the weight of the face plate the projecting portion thereof d may be cut or hollowed out and filled with wood or other li hter weight material.

Xte-nding through the body portion A and the projecting member d are one or more apertures ve--e, the diameter of which. is slightly tapered to provide a tight fitting wedging locking connection when the pins e-e are driven therethrough.

All of the parts are built to very accurate measurements so Ithat when assembled the head forms a very compact close fitting construction, one in which all of the parts are interlocked with their contiguous members by forming the wedging engagement with the different parts thereof as heretofore eX- plained. A retaining plate-E fits into a corresponding countersunk portion in the bottom of the club and is` screwed or otherwise fixedly secured to the body A.

It will be observed that all the metal parts are either tapered or wedge shaped as previously explained, the exposed surface C fitting into the body A in an opening which is slightly narrower at the top than at the bottom thereof. The weight B can only be inserted in the body A through the bottom.

The pins e-e can only be inserted through the bottom of the body portion; the beads bz-mbg, 0 0, are also tapered from end to end to form a tight, wedging connection for the weight within the cavity designed for it. The engaging curved surfaces of the weight body B, the body of the club A, with the curved surfaces z"-f, between the foot of said weight and the body portion of the weight, lock closely around the parts of the material forming the body portion A, continuous thereto, thus providing a very secure and compact structure when assembled; one which will at all times hold the parts in fixed position regardless of the usage given the club in playing the game.

The provision of the removable weights a I consider one of the important features of my invention, inasmuch as the weight behind the striking point on the ball is of importance in directing the successful manipulation of the club.

As shown in Figure 6 thev removable weights are constructed of a size suitable lto snugly fit within the recess or cavity provided for them in the weight body B. I contemplate the use of one or more of these weights as desired by the user. Ordinarily the weights are formed of lead but for the purpose of varying the weight I contemplate forming one end of lead and the other of aluminum or some other lighter weight material, or 'one end ofthe weight may be removed entirely for the purpose of making it lighter. provided more weight above the center of the ball where the strike is made, the effect being to direct the ball in a downward line of travel. If the weights are changed to occupy the lower half of the cavity in the weight body, I will have provided more In the latter oase I will have weight beneath the center of the ball when the strike is made, the effect being to direct the ball in a upward line of travel. When it is desired to use the club with full weight as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, there is an equal distribution of Weight above and below the center of the ball thereby causing the ball when struck to travel in a horizontal direction. 'lhus it will be understood that by the variation in the weight of the club head, and the position of said weights in the club, a player willto a great extent, be able to control the line of direction the ballwill travel.

I claim- 1. A golf club head having a tapered recess extending through said club and to the rear thereof, a taperedweight extending through said recess, means for effecting an interlocking wedging engagement therewith, and means for securing said weight in said recess.

2. A golf club head having an irregular shaped tapered recess extending from the top tothe bottom of the club and to the rear thereof, a weight fitting said irregularly shaped recess and having interlocking wedging engagement therewith, and means for securing the weight in the recess.

3. A golf club head having a vertical recess extending through the body and to the rear thereof, a Weight fitting in said recess and having means thereon for enlgaging channels provided in the body and forming an interlocking engagement therewith, the body of said weight being chambered, a plurality of removable members fXedly secured within said chamber, and means for securing the lweight in the recess.

4. In a golf club head, the combination of the body 0f the club having an opening extending vertically and transversely through one side and the rear thereof, a weight fitting within said opening, said weight provided with a plurality of engaging members fitting channels in the body portion and vforming locking engagement therewith, and

means retaining said weightl in place,

flo

mesme;

5. In a golf club head, the combination of the body portion of the club having an irregular vshaped vertical opening therethrough whicr extends to the rear of the club head, sai opening being tapered from the bottom to the top'v thereof, a weight corresponding in shape with said opening and i fitting therein .with a wedging engagement,

the edges of said wieght having beadsr formed thereon which enter corresponding channels and form an interlocking engagement with the club head, and means securing said weight in the opening. I

6. In a golf club head, the combinatlon Yof the body portion of the club having an irregular shaped vertical opening there- 'through which extends to the rear of the club head, a weight conforming in contour to said opening and having means for effecting an interlocking engagement therewith, said weight having a chamber therein 'to receive a plurality of removable members, means for securing sald removable members -in said chamber, and a shoe fitting a countersunk recess in the bottom of the club and secured thereto.

7. In a golf club head, the combination of a body portion having an irregular .shaped vertical opening therethrough which extends to the rear of the club, a weight conforming t0. the shape of said openlng and having interlocking engagement therewith, said weight having achamber there1n, a variable number of removable members {ixedly secured in said chamber, means l formed integrally with said weight for interlocking it with channels` formed in the club body, and a sole vplate secured to said club. p

8. In a golf club head, thecombination of a body portion having an irregular shaped opening therethrough, and a weight conforming to the shape of said opening,

said Weight formed of a plurality of members fixedly secured together and adapted to be varied in number, beads formed on different edges of said weight, said beads engaging channels in the body of the club and having locking enga-gement therewith, and means retaining said weight in place.

9. In a golf club head, the combination of a body portion having an opening therethrough, extending from the top to the bottom of the head and to the rear thereof, a weight conforming to the shape of said opening, means formed integrally with said weight for effecting an interlocking en gement with channels formed in the 'b y of the club head, a shoe fitting a countersunk recess in the bottom of the club and secured thereto to hold the weight in the recess, and a face plate attached to the side of `the club head opposite the weight.

10. In a golf club head, the combination of a body portion having an opening therethrough, a weight conformingto the contour of said opening and having means formed integrally therewith for leffecting an interlocking engagement with the bod of the clubhead, sald weight having a nec portion provided with shoulders extending 'of said opening and having interlocking engagement therewith and extending tdthe edge 0f the club at the rear thereof, a recess formed in the club at the opposite side thereof, a face plate extending over said recess and having a ,projection fitting therein, means for ocking said face plate in fixed position, and a shoe covering the bottom of said club and retaining the weight therein.

12. A golf club head having a vertical opening through the body thereof, said opening extending transversely to the rear of the club, a weight extending through said opening and having means for effecting interlocking enga ement with channels formed in the club bo y, a face plate on one side of said club, and means for securing said plate to the club body.

13. A golf club head having an irregularly shaped recess extending from top to bottom and to the rear thereof, a weight conforming to the shape of said recess and positioned in said recess and having interlocking engagement with the wall thereof,

In testimony whereofA I have signed this` specification.

WILLIAM S, ALLEN. 

